March Madness 2026: How to watch the NCAA Tournament

March Madness is officially here with the men's tournament bracket now set after Selection Sunday.

The First Four will kick things off for this year’s tourney in Dayton, Ohio, on March 17 with the first set of play-in tournament-style matchups for the 68-team bracket. 

Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 

Who are the NCAA Men’s Tournament top seeds?

Dig deeper:

This year’s top four overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament were awarded to Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida.

How many teams are in the NCAA Tournament this year?

By the numbers: Sixty-eight teams will battle over the next couple of weeks in games nationwide for the opportunity to travel to the Final Four for a shot at the National Championship.

Approximately 31 of the 68 teams in the field qualified automatically through conference tournaments. And all eligible teams that win their conference tournaments receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

How to watch the 2026 NCAA Tournament

What you can do:

March Madness games can be viewed through a variety of television and streaming platforms. Times listed for the games are all eastern standard times. 

Games will be available live in their entirety across four television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – and NCAA March Madness Live. 

Viewers can also watch games airing on CBS streaming live on Paramount+. Games airing on TBS, TNT and truTV will also stream live on HBO Max. 

NCAA First Four Games (March 17 & March 18)

• No. 16 UMBC vs. No. 16 Howard | 6:40 p.m. truTV (March 17)
• No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 North Carolina State | 9:15 p.m. truTV (March 17)
• No. 16 Prairie View A&M vs. No. 16 Lehigh | 6:40 p.m.  truTV (March 18)
• No. 11 Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 11 Southern Methodist University 9:15 p.m. truTV (March 18)

NCAA Round of 64 tournament games (March 19)

• East Region: No. 8 Ohio State (21-12) vs. No. 9 TCU (22-11) | 12:15 p.m. CBS
• South Region: No. 4 Nebraska (26-6) vs. No. 13 Troy (22-11) | 12:40 p.m. truTV
• East Region: No. 6 Louisville (23-10) vs. No. 11 South Florida (25-8) | 1:30 p.m. TNT
• West Region: No. 5 Wisconsin (24-10) vs. No. 12 High Point (30-4) 1:50 p.m. TBS
• East Region: No. 1 Duke (32-2) vs. No. 16 Siena (23-11) 2:50 p.m. CBS
• South Region: No. 5 Vanderbilt (26-8) vs. No. 12 McNeese (28-5) 3:15 p.m. truTV
• East Region: No. 3 Michigan State (25-7) vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (27-7) 4:05 p.m. TNT
• West Region: No. 4 Arkansas (26-8) vs. No. 13 Hawai'i (24-8) 4:25 p.m. TBS
• South Region: No. 6 North Carolina (24-8) vs. No. 11 VCU (27-7) 6:50 p.m. TNT
• Midwest Region: No. 1 Michigan (31-3) vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard 7:10 p.m. CBS
• West Region: No. 6 BYU (23-11) vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State 7:25 p.m. TBS
• South Region: No. 7 Saint Mary's (27-5) vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (21-11) 7:35 p.m. truTV
• South Region: No. 3 Illinois (24-8) vs. No. 14 Penn (18-11) | 9:25 p.m. TNT
• Midwest Region: No. 8 Georgia (22-10) vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (28-5) | 9:45 p.m. CBS
• West Region: No. 3 Gonzaga (30-3) vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (21-13) 10 p.m. TBS
• South Region: No. 2 Houston (28-6) vs. No. 15 Idaho (21-14) 10:10 p.m. truTV

NCAA Round of 64 games continued (March 20) 

• Midwest Region: No. 7 Kentucky (21-13) vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (26-8) 12:15 p.m. CBS
• Midwest Region: No. 5 Texas Tech (22-10) vs. No. 12 Akron (29-5) 12:40 p.m. truTV
• West Region: No. 1 Arizona (32-2) vs. No. 16 LIU (24-10) | 1:35 p.m. TNT
• Midwest Region: No. 3 Virginia (29-5) vs. No. 14 Wright State (23-11) 1:50 p.m. TBS
• Midwest Region: No. 2 Iowa State (27-7) vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (23-9) | 2:50 p.m. CBS
• Midwest Region: No. 4 Alabama (23-9) vs. No. 13 Hofstra (24-10) 3:15 p.m. truTV
• West Region: No. 8 Villanova (24-8) vs. No. 9 Utah State (28-6) 4:10 p.m. | TNT
• Midwest Region: No. 6 Tennessee (22-11) vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU 4:25 p.m. | TBS
• South Region: No. 8 Clemson (24-10) vs. No. 9 Iowa (21-12) 6:50 p.m. TNT
• East Region No. 5 St. John's (28-6) vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (23-12) 7:10 p.m. CBS
• East Region: No. 7 UCLA (23-11) vs. No. 10 Central Florida (21-11) 7:25 p.m. TBS
• West Region: No. 2 Purdue (27-8) vs. No. 15 Queens (21-13) 7:35 p.m. truTV
• South Region: No. 1 Florida (26-7) vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M/Lehigh 9:25 p.m. TNT
• East Region: No. 4 Kansas (23-10) vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist (25-8) 9:45 p.m. CBS
• Eastt Region: No. 2 UConn (29-5) vs. No. 15 Furman (22-12) 10 p.m. TBS
• West Region: No. 7 Miami (25-8) vs. No. 10 Missouri (20-12) 10:10 p.m. truTV

NCAA Round of 32 games (March 21 & March 22)

The round of 32 Games will be played on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 with the times and TV channels to be determined. 

NCAA Sweet Sixteen (March 26 & March 27)

NCAA Sweet 16 Games for the South and West Regions will be played on Thursday, March 26 with the time and TV channels to be determined. 

NCAA Sweet 16 Games for the East and Midwest Regions will be played on Friday, March 27 with the time and TV channels to be determined.

NCAA Elite Eight (March 28 & March 29)

Elite Eight/Regional Final Games for the South and West Regions will be played on Saturday, March 28 with the time and TV channels to be determined. (eastern time)

Elite Eight/Regional Final Games for the East and Midwest Regions will be played on Sunday, March 29 with the time and TV channels to be determined. (eastern time)

NCAA Final Four (April 4)

The NCAA Men’s Final Four features two games from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (eastern times)

National Semifinal Game 1: Saturday, April 4 at 6 p.m. on TBS

National Semifinal Game 2: Saturday, April 4 at 8:30 p.m. on TBS 

NCAA National Championship (April 6)

The National Championship Game: Monday, April 6 at 8:30 p.m. on TBS (eastern time)